Sin City Baby

“I just don’t wanna talk about it,” she said into my chest.

“Want me to still kick his ass?” I asked. “Because I’ll still kick his ass, even without a reason.”

She giggled into my chest, and I could’ve sworn I’d died on the battlefield and gone to heaven. Not that a man like me, who’d done the things I’d done, would ever get to those pearly gates, but I sure as hell was holding the closest thing to it in my arms.

“Thanks for always being there to fight my battles, Chance, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“Yes,” I said, chuckling. “But you’re not just a big girl. You’re a big, beautiful girl.”

I looked down into her face and saw her blush as her eyes flickered up to me from my chest. She pulled away from me and shook her head, swatting me on the arm as her smile grew into that gorgeous little giggle. Her blush ricocheted down her neck and into her shirt, and I began imagining what her body would look like covered in that same reddish hue.

Maybe with a bit of sweat to make it glisten.

“You dirty old man,” she said.

“No matter my age, I’m a Lost Boy for life. You, however, are our tiny, magical creature.”

“I’m not so tiny anymore,” she said, grinning. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

All I could do was smile at her cheekiness and nod in agreement because if I didn’t keep my mouth shut, I’d want to ask her to show me those tricks.

Her brown eyes locked onto my blue ones, and suddenly, the intensity in the room shifted. Kyra stepped back toward me, her body heat radiating outward as I craned my neck to keep her in my view. I could see her lips parting slightly, like she was about to tell me something but didn’t know how to start.

For a split second, I thought she was going to talk to me about her ex. Then, her face was inching closer to mine.

I felt our bodies magnetizing toward each other, pulling one another in as our lips got closer and closer. I could feel her breath against my skin, and I watched while her eyes fluttered closed. The blood in my veins was pulsing in my ears, and I could hear my heart screaming out into my mind.

This was happening.

I was about to feel this perfect woman’s lips against mine.

But just before our lips connected, a voice boomed out into the hallway. Kyra sprang away from me, like a toy wound too tightly, and shot in the other direction. I clenched my jaw and tried to bury my anger as Mark came barging through the damn door, and the second her father’s eyes landed onto me, I felt my entire body tense up.

“I swear, kids can’t do shit right,” he said.

His eyes landed on the beer bottles still on the kitchen counter, and that was when I realized what was going on.

Everyone expected us to bring them their second round.

And like a cork that had been popped, the rest of my brothers spilled in after her dad. They filled the kitchen of the Lancaster home, and I opened the fridge to hand everyone else a beer. We all stared at Owen as he popped the top off with his hand, chuckling and shaking our heads as Kyra’s giggle wafted above the rest of us.

There was no denying that Owen was a monster of a man, no matter how quiet he was in real life.

“I propose a toast,” Rowan said.

“Make it quick,” Ethan said. “I got a beer to chug.”

“To the gang being back together,” Rowan said. “May it make memories for us all.”

“Sappy as hell, just like you,” I said.

“I thought it was nice,” Kyra said.

“Thank you, Tinkerbell,” Rowan said.

“What did you just call my daughter?” Mark asked.

The room fell silent, and I couldn’t help but allow a smirk to crawl across my face.